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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26598367">X-23: Shout of Freedom</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/felpereBRanco/pseuds/felpereBRanco'>felpereBRanco</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>One Shots [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Wolverine (Movies), X-23 (Comic), X-Men - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:29:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,389</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26598367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/felpereBRanco/pseuds/felpereBRanco</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>X-23 faces off against gods, dragons and the depraved morality of humans with the help of Ayleen, a mage down on her luck after being wrongfully captured during her travel to the College of Winterhold.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>One Shots [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>X-23: Shout of Freedom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>As usual, a oneshot I started writing, probably won't get updates but hey, at least I hope you'll have fun reading this teaser.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ayleen opened her eyes drowsily, the sharp pain of rope biting hard into her bound hands. There were waves of pain emanating from the back of her head and her vision would blur and warp every few seconds. She didn’t feel good, but it took a long time for the Dunmer to realize that she was concussed. Ayleen slowly noticed the small weight on her lap and, ignoring the sounds of conversation around her, peeked down at the back of a sleeping child, gently curled up in her lap, her chest lighty moving against her legs. The girl couldn’t be older than twelve winters old, but Ayleen was surprised to notice her skin was as flawless as a baby. Life in Skyrim was hard, and even children often had scars or calluses on their tiny bodies, telling stories of their mishaps and accidents. To be flawless, here, was… unusual, to say the least.</p><p>They were in a wagon being led by Imperial Guards mounted in horses. At her side, three other men shared a rather spiteful argument, all of them also bound, dressed in ragged clothes. The blue splashes in their rags proudly displayed their allegiance and Ayleen couldn’t help the small sneer that escaped her usually kind attitude. She tried to stay out of the war as much as she could, but she couldn’t avoid strongly disliking Stormcloaks due to their prejudice to anything that wasn’t a blond nord. One of them, she realized while letting go of the anger, the only whose mouth was covered by cloth had clothes made with a finer cloth, a noble’s uniform.</p><p>As they argued about gods and their fates, she looked again at the sleeping girl, who was using a strange, black and gray, one piece… suit that hugged her small body quite indecently. Ayleen had never seen such cloth before, neither had she seen such vibrant red dye that painted deep slashes in the sides of the girl’s body. The fabric was hard like leather but as smooth as the girl’s pale skin. This <em> costume </em> was sleeveless, outlining her shoulders and it only covered her up to the middle of her tights, leaving her short legs completely bare to an obscene amount. Ayleen, to put it mildly, felt quite scandalized at whoever dressed this girl and couldn’t find a single good reason as to why someone would do such a thing. </p><p>The girl groaned, moving a little under her gaze as she awoke. The child, rather cutely in Ayleen's opinion, raised herself slowly, green eyes looking up in confusion trying to understand what was happening. Despite her appearance, she swore that the girl’s eyes hinted at some level of awareness that she should not have achieved yet, and her strange calmness to waking up in chains was a little unsettling.</p><p>As they approached the city that Ayleen recognized as Helgen, the girl leaned into her, seemingly searching for a protection that she couldn't offer. Instead, Ayleen shifted around to make the girl more comfortable. She had no idea what that girl was doing in a prisoner's carriage but she was sure it had to be a mistake and silently vowed to do everything in her power to spare the kid.</p><p> </p><p>When the wagon stopped, X-23 kept still, hiding her hands between her and the strange purple woman’s body as she silently tugged at her bonds, trying to loosen it. Her claws were useless here, she didn’t have leverage to use them to cut the heavy rope and the fact only made the anger bubbling inside her grow stronger. She sighed, stopping what she was doing as she saw the other three men get up. The woman gave her a small nudge with her shoulder whispering in her ear and X-23 had to actively stop herself from killing the woman for getting too close.</p><p>"It's okay, Little One, I promise no harm will come to you." She would have snorted if she could understand irony, knowing that was an empty promise in either way but instead she imitated the sounds of distress that sometimes would come from the other cells in The Facility. Wimpers, her handler explained once. Thinking quickly, she got up slowly trying to act frightened. She knew that mammals, humans specifically, put a lot of importance on children. Understandable in a way, but the idea that all children were innocent and defenseless was flawed and playing into that assumption would only lead them to underestimate her. The strange woman that she now noticed had long ears made sure to stick close to her and X-23 did not know if that was to comfort her or the woman herself, who exhaled fear.</p><p>Names were rolled one after another as the ‘Stormcloaks’, the name that had been repeated continuously since they entered this shanty town, were called, following the guards to the block. X-23 felt as if she was watching one of those movies that Mother- her handler loved to talk about in the quiet of the night, with flying lizards and men wearing crowns. In the end, only her and the woman were left. The guard calling the names froze when his eyes landed on them, feeling confused and speechless. They weren’t on the list!</p><p>"Who… Who are you?" He asked, not knowing what to do. The woman looked at her for a moment before turning back at the guard.</p><p>"My name is Ayleen of Winterhold." She spoke loudly, stopping for a moment. As she opened her mouth to continue, the same man cut in.</p><p>"Another refugee? Gods really have abandoned your people, Dark Elf.” The man said dismissively, noting it down on his book. Ayleen scowled. “What about that… kid?” He asked hesitantly. X-23 cowered silently, stepping back slightly to hide behind the other woman. The <em> Dark Elf </em> glared at him. The man then turned to another soldier that came to his side.</p><p>“Captain, what do we do? They’re not on the list.” He said. Captain, X-23 stared, she was the commanding officer, a high profile target. The clone made sure to memorize her face. Noticing the chance, she grabbed the back of the Dark Elf’s shirt, ducking her head. When the woman turned to look at them, X-23 made sure to look as pitiful as possible. As predicted, she could see the startled hesitation in the woman’s eyes as she noticed the ‘innocent’ child, though she noticed it being overruled by hate as the woman locked eyes with Ayleen.</p><p>X-23 filed that detail in her mind. </p><p>“Forget the list, they go to the block!” She yelled. The man, eyes widening, turned toward her. “But, she’s just a child!” He said forcefully, but lost his voice as the woman glared at him. “Are you disobeying my orders, Soldier?” She asked dangerously. The man looked down, shaking his head as the woman nodded once and left.</p><p>“I’m sorry, we’ll make sure your remains, and those of your child, are returned to Morrowind.” He said, guiding them to the block. X-23 hitched her breath like she saw one of the nurses do during her escape as Ayleen muttered angrily.</p><p>“Skyrim <em> is </em> my home, racist prick.” </p><p>Her mind ran as a strange ceremony started with someone named Ulfric. Numbers, hostiles and options floating in her mind as she created an escape plan. She noticed that the man who just interrupted said ceremony got on his knees. If she were forced to do the same, that would put her at half the height of the captain’s leg. She could cut the rope with her feet claws if she had only one knee in the ground, a spin and the Captain would be immobile, crippled. She would take her as hostage, her own body small enough to fully hide her from arrows and, with her back to the wall, she’d get to a stalemate, surrounded but protected.</p><p>X-23 blinked, seeing the headsman raise a giant axe over that… “Stormcloak”. Feeling hands on her shoulder, she turned her head to the dark woman. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t look.” Ayleen said to the girl, awkwardly putting her bound hands in the girl’s shoulder to comfort her. She frowned when the girl turned back to the execution fast enough to see it happen. The girl looked like she was frightened into stillness, because the Dark Elf didn’t hear any sound from her. She, like everyone but the girl, looked up in confusion as a strange screeching cry pierced the air. She also faintly noticed people both respecting and cursing the now dead man, but she was too focused on the still silent girl to pay attention.</p><p>“Next.... the kid” The Captain said, making Ayleen heart stop beating. She knew it was her fault that the girl was here. She saw the hatred that clouded that hideous woman’s face moments before she chose to punish the girl instead of helping her. She couldn’t let that happen, she had to save the kid somehow, she had to.... Slow but strangely sure steps broke her thoughts. The girl, ever silent, approached the Captain with her head downcast. Her widened and watering eyes looked in shock as the girl got down to a single knee. “No…” She murmured, feeling the time stop. Around her, the village started to grow heated as everyone started to shout displeasures or defend the child. The girl glanced at her with voidness in her eyes and Ayleen felt her heart break all over again. She… she wasn’t strong enough, and now the girl would pay for that.</p><p>X-23 was briefly distracted by the dark woman, and by the jeers and boos of the crowd (They seemed to be furious at this… Imperial’s decision to kill her) but that small moment was enough to end her. Perhaps noticing something, perhaps out of sheer spite, the Captain put a foot in her back, pushing her to the ground, her head on the block, right next to the headless man. Silently, she grew angry, knowing how much that would hurt.  Faking her death and then running while her body was disposed was one of her plans, but definitely not her first. As the headsman rose his axe, though, X-23 was startled as she gazed at a giant flying lizard that landed on the small building behind the man. This… animal, for X-23 had no idea of what it was, opened its mouth and… Shouted… pushing her to the ground.</p><p>She felt her windpipe smash against the wood and for a moment she struggled, unable to breath. A second later and she felt a pop, her airways suddenly clear again. Her whole body ached, that feeling of a thousand ants crawling underneath her skin as her body healed itself from the attack.</p><p>“...Hurt?” The clone shook her head, feeling her broken ribs reset painfully as she grunted. Drowsy, she tried to get up but a hand on her legs and the feeling of being lifted into the air stopped her. She almost attacked, barely noticing that the person who carried her was the dark woman. She was quickly put on the ground again, sitting against a wall and as she looked around, she noticed that they were inside one of the buildings made of stone. She turned her head to look at her bonds, not paying any attention to the arguing that happened in the background. She wouldn’t be able to cut it with her hands, as her arm wouldn’t bend enough for that. In extreme cases she could always break her wrist and pull it out but….</p><p>She got on her knees, jumping over her bound hands so that they would be on her front. Putting both wrists close to her right foot, she released her foot claws, cutting the rope and her wrist in one go. X-23 grimaced, massaging her wrists as the blood quickly stopped flowing. She looked up, noticing Ayleen turning toward her. </p><p>“...Come. Are you hurt?” She moved her head, denying it. The woman frowned at her arms before the blond man that was in the cart with them called them to the stairs. The woman dragged her by her hand.</p><p> </p><p>Ayleen cursed, hearing a flap of wings. She stopped, twisting her heels as she raced to cover the young girl with her own body. A flash of heat on her back and she grimaced, feeling uncomfortably hot as two unlucky men died by the fire. After the dragon left, she, the man called Ralof and the girl approached the window. The Dark Elf sighed, looking at the broken stairs leading up before looking at the hole, a burning wooden house not too far from the tower. Close enough to-</p><p>Again she cursed, seeing the girl suddenly jump through the hole, her own heart stopping as the child sailed through the air. Ralof turned to her as the kid successfully landed, rolled, and slid the rest of the wooden floor until she fell through an opening to the ground floor, where she used the wall to stop the momentum.</p><p> “You… trained her well, I see.” Said Ralof. Ayleen blinked, shaking away the surprise. she hesitated for a moment, looking at the wooden window with trepidation, but jumped when she felt Ralof gently pushing her back.</p><p>Ayleen tried to imitate the girl, tucking her legs together, and threw her weight forward… which led her to hit her face directly on the wood. She rolled uncontrolled some more until she fell from the same hole on the floor, hitting the ground with a painful thud. She opened her eyes groaning, and the girl glanced at her with a mix of amusement and disdain that only made her feel more embarrassed.</p><p>When the kid suddenly turned and ran, her heart dropped. She saw the dragon landing so close to them. She could see that same Imperial Guard that asked her name trying to coach a boy into hiding. She could see her girl jumping over the boy as the dragon spewed fire. </p><p>
  <em> No! </em>
</p><p>When the fire stopped and the dragon left, surely to cause more mayhem around the city, Ayleen didn’t move. She couldn’t even breath until she saw something moving from the charred ground. She hurried closer, seeing her kid get up slowly, <em> painfully. </em> She had thrown the boy behind the rubble of a nearby tower that protected both of them from the worst of the fire. Ayleen could see her skin unmarred, miraculously, and breathed a long sigh of relief. </p><p>There was so much that she wanted to do, to say to this girl for risking her life so recklessly, but there was no time. She quickly burned her own cuffs with a simple spell before scooping her child up, mindful of her bare feet in the scorched earth (Not that the foot wraps Ayleen was wearing offered much protection either.) and ran, the soldier following close behind her.</p><p>“Over here!” He pointed and she followed. “Hug the wall!” She threw herself into the hard rock, back first, and held herself still, praying to Nocturnal that they went unnoticed as the dragon landed just above her, one of its wings almost ripping her with the sharp claw. The dragon didn’t fly up suddenly like the other times, and Ayleen’s anxiety grew as the girl started to wiggle, trying to slip away. Ayleen held her tighter, letting a tear escape. </p><p>Eventually, the dragon went away. The man, Hadvar, led them through a burned house full of charred bodies and sprinted through the open road as the dragon passed right above them. </p><p>“We’re going into that keep!” He yelled, pointing to a stone building. The girl in her arms shifted again and Ayleen stumbled, accidentally letting her slip. Her kid spun, landing on the ground and ran. “Ralof, you damned traitor, out of my way!” Ayleen heard Hadvar yell at another man, but she didn’t pay attention, chasing after the girl as fast as she could.</p><p> </p><p>X-23 jumped away the moment she smelled her own scent, running into the “keep” the soldier was trying to lead them to before quickly locating the chest impregnated with her own odor. She touched her fist to the latch, letting out her claws and sheathing them again in a single movement, breaking the lock open.</p><p>Inside she found everything she had stolen from The Facility before her escape. Military footwear, three combat knives that could be easily hidden in her boots or waist, a backpack filled with a second (clean) uniform and the small watch she was given for any mission, the time limit she was supposed to follow long since zeroed out. There was also a crumpled letter, hidden in the bottom of the backpack. She cut the ropes binding her wrists with the knife and gathered everything as fast as she could, slipping on the fingerless gloves that had holes for her claws. By the time Ayleen barged in, quickly followed by the guard, she was almost done tying the boots. </p><p>“Are we safe?” She heard the Elf ask, followed by the soldier’s reply. “As safe as we can be.” The woman turned to her and X-23 tensed, struggling not to attack her.</p><p>“What were you thinking?!” Ayleen exploded, tears on her face and arms waving around. “Do you have any idea of how dangerous that was?” Neither of them knew if they were referring to her saving the boy or running, but X-23 staggered, feeling that the words were familiar to her somehow. </p><p><em> “What were you thinking, Laura?!” </em> She remembered Mother yell once, after she assassinated a governor and his wife <em> “Do you have any idea of what they’re gonna do to us if they realize you didn’t kill the boy?”  </em></p><p>Who was Laura?</p><p>Ayleen crouched near her as X-23 blinked.  She was getting closer, throwing her arms around X-23 to immobilize her. Mother used to do the same, but for some reason she always let go just as quickly, so quickly that the weapon did not have time to feel oppressed by the entrapment. Ayleen didn’t. She trapped the clone with her body, hooking her arms behind her back to block her escape and <em> held her.  </em></p><p>“I’m sorry.” Ayleen whispered, one arm moving up to put a hand on the back of her head, caressing her hair. “I don’t even know who you are,” She admitted quietly, resting her head on the girl’s shoulder. “But I was worried. I want to help you, I promise I’ll do everything I can to get you home, but you can’t do that again, ok?”</p><p>“Why?” The question bubbled out of her before X-23 could snap her mouth shut. She closed her eyes, waiting for the retaliation of questioning orders, but none came. Ayleen let go, putting both hands on her shoulder to stare deep in her eyes before answering. </p><p>“Because,” She started gently. “I can’t protect you if you keep throwing yourself into danger.” X-23 frowned, lowering her head to show submission as the elf got up. That wasn’t the answer she was looking for.</p><p>“I wasn’t in danger.” she couldn’t help but murmur, catching a bright light sparking to live between the woman’s fingers. Some kind of energy started flowing into her and she tensed, feeling her healing snapping into overdrive. When the energy faded, she still felt… invincible,  and she barely managed to contain the contractions in her respiratory system. </p><p> </p><p>“Feels good, huh?” Ayleen murmured to herself with a smile, watching her child laugh. She ignored the impressed, if slightly derogatory comment from Hadvar about mages as she turned her Healing Hands to him, invigorating the Imperial. </p><p>He helped her put on a spare armor she found in one of the chests, despite her distaste at wearing anything made for the war and opened the gate that led deeper into the Keep. She went in first, cursing herself a moment later as two Stormcloaks shot to their feet, brandishing their weapons. She wasn’t a warrior, she never even held a sword before, but the sight of the blade glinting dangerously as it swung toward her face arose the long forgotten memories of sitting in a meadow as her mother attempted to teach her the destruction spells that her family was so proficient in.</p><p>Ayleen's hands burst in fire, and as she ducked under the first slash, the heat turned toward her enemies, burning flesh and leather alike. She didn’t even think, didn’t even stop to consider that these people probably had daughters and wives to come back to, she simply attacked. Hadvar appeared from behind her, blocking a second swing with his own sword. When they were done, Hadvar simply scowled at the smell of burnt flesh as Ayleen started heaving against a wall. She felt sick, horrified with what she had done with her own hands. Unlike her family, Ayleen had always strived to avoid violence rather than thrive in it. Her father once had warned her that you either live in Skyrim with blood in your hands, or you do not live at all. She refused to accept that, years ago, but reality seems to be intent on proving her wrong. </p><p>She heaved again, suddenly grateful for the hunger that gnawed at her belly not long ago as she spewed out nothing but the disgusting liquid of her insides. Hadvar touched her shoulder lightly, eyebrows scrunched together and a downward turn of his lips. </p><p>“Your first time, lass?” He asked in a low tone, no humor in his voice. “No one ever forgets that.” He said simply before turning toward the door. “Come on, I’ll see if I can get this open.” </p><p>Ayleen looked at the girl in the corner, imagining the terror in her gaze, or perhaps the disappointment, but her child simply glared at the corpses suspiciously, kicking it lightly in the head before dismissing them entirely, following Hadvar as he descended the circular stairs in the next room. The Dark Elf hesitated before hurrying after them. </p><p> </p><p>X-23 felt restless. She was used to operating alone, to be the one moving forward to continue the mission. Up to now, she had been forced to either stay on the sidelines or have her targets taken out before she could even get in the same room as them. Simply put, the clone <em> wanted </em> a kill. </p><p>So when Hadvar stilled when entering a long corridor, two Stormcloaks turning to him at the far end of the hallway, X-23 took off instead. Ayleen, her current ally, told her to not throw herself into danger, but did it count when she wasn’t in danger at all? Her feral gaze as she jumped, hooking her arms on the first soldier’s neck to dropkick the one right behind, using her feet to stab at the heart and throat before following the spin, dragging the claws in her hand around to slash the first man’s neck. A second after attacking she landed, throwing a wild look toward Ayleen as the bodies dropped behind her. Her heart was racing and she couldn’t stop the tilt up of her right lip as she stood over them.</p><p>That’s when the roof above her caved in, giant rocks falling over her arms before she managed to jump away from it. The last thing she saw has Ayleen’s desperate gaze as she shouted in fright. </p><p> </p><p>“No!” Ayleen screamed, running ahead before Hadvar could catch her. She opened her mouth again to scream but faltered, realizing she didn’t even have a name to call. “No…” She whimpered, trying to pull the boulders so she could free her kid. When nothing happened, she tried kicking it, twice, before throwing a wild restoration spell into the stone.</p><p>Her girl had to be under there, somewhere. She had to be alive, and Ayleen had to save her, somehow. She couldn’t lose another one...</p><p>“ ‘Lee…” Hadvar murmured, holding her fist before she could attempt another spell. “ I’m sorry.” He didn’t say anything else, pulling out his sword as the door to his side opened, jumping into battle against the two Stormcloaks that were drawn by her screams. This time she didn’t feel anything as she set them alight, throwing out jets of fire that filled the entire room, fueled by her hatred. The next door led back to the same corridor, right after the rocks that blocked the way. She kneeled there as Hadvar lingered on the other room, storing the few potions he found in a small satchel. </p><p>There was blood, a lot of it. More than the girl could possibly have, but perhaps they belonged to the two men she took down. She could see strange claw marks on the rocks bathed in red, but she couldn’t see any flesh hidden in the rubble. It was, perhaps, a long shot, but Ayleen decided that the girl was alive. That she had escaped, somehow, and that she would be waiting just after the next door. She had to be. So when Hadvar appeared, she didn’t need any coaching to get up and keep moving. </p><p>In the next room, right after descending a set of stairs was the torturer’s chamber. The rusting cages and the smell of putrid flesh was almost as foul as the four bodies on the ground, throats slashed. Ayleen felt disgusted with herself, but she couldn’t help stealing the robes of a mage and dressing them on the spot, the white hood and blueish robes offering her a comfort that the Imperial Armor would never give, even with the knowledge it had been taken from a rotting corpse. They moved on from the room with determined grimaces, not commenting on it. </p><p>Truth is, Ayleen just didn’t have anything else to puke. </p><p>They continued on in silence for a long track of empty hallways and cave tunnels, letting Ayleen stew in her own thoughts. She didn’t know why exactly she felt so attached to that girl. The child reminded her of her own daughter, dead by her seventh winter four years ago, but it wasn’t just the familiarity that called to her. For some reason, every time Ayleen had glanced at the girl, all she could see was someone… vulnerable. In need of help. Not in the sense of being defenseless, Ayleen could admit to being naïve but she could tell the girl knew how to fight, or at least had been in battlefields before. But she seemed so small whenever the Dark Elf had hugged her or patted her head, as if she had no idea how to receive such gestures. And how she ended up in that wagon was as much of a mystery to Ayleen as her name, but she could tell that whoever the girl’s parents were, they had not been kind to her. </p><p>She promised herself then that, if the girl wished it so, Ayleen would adopt her. Partly because Ayleen could never turn away someone in need, part because she couldn’t deny the attachment. Sheogorath’s beard, she was already calling her “Her child”.</p><p>The next room they entered had been filled with Stormcloaks. Had been, because they all laid on pools of their own blood, dead either by a slash to the throat or a stab wound to the heart. A few lucky ones, she noticed with disgust, had their eyes mutilated, or their limbs severed. Before they could continue on, Hadvar grabbed something off the ground, raising it to a light beam that escaped from the cave ceiling. </p><p>“Look at this,” He said, showing a sword cut cleanly in half. “Imperial steel is one of the damn best metals in all of the planes of Nirn. I’ve never seen something slice through it like butter before.” Ayleen simply hummed before she continued walking. Hadvar threw the sword away and followed. </p><p>When the ceiling collapsed behind them, after they crossed a flimsy wooden bridge, her heart jumped. She stilled, forcing herself to close her eyes and breathe. She knew her girl had to be ahead of her. Because the kid had survived, she knew it, and because she knew that if she wasn’t right ahead of her, waiting in the next room, then it meant she was under that rubble, it meant Ayleen left her behind to die alone, buried under the ruins of that cursed city, and she couldn’t accept that. So Ayleen dived deeper into the cave system under the Keep, losing herself in the endless dead ends and twisting paths, having to turn back over and over again. They must have spent hours there, lost in that labyrinth. Hadvar eventually started to tell her of Riverwood, of his friendship with Ralof and his sister, the woman he had been sweet on for years but never acted on it due to his ties with the Empire. In return, Ayleen hesitantly told him of her earlier life in the hold of Falkreach, under strict parents with high expectations. She spoke of running when she was barely of age, only to end up in the College of Winterhold. </p><p>Their conversation was suddenly cut by a sharp cry, Ayleen’s words died in her throat as Hadvar pulled his sword and the air was filled with desperate curses, but Ayleen recognized that young feminine timbre and she couldn’t stop the hope that bloomed in her heart. They raced into a giant cave filled with spiders as the girl screamed in pain again. She was in the center of the mob, holding her arm protectively as she fended off the monsters with a tiny but savage growl. Ayleen leapt to her rescue, throwing fire left and right as Hadvar covered her back. </p><p>The girl locked eyes with her before jumping back into the fight with a fervor, and it was only then that Ayleen saw the four blades she held between her fingers, the way they sliced hard carapace with such ease as the girl vaulted over a spider before hitting the eyes of another with her feet, pouring a dark ichor on the ground. Ayleen charged up a fireball before throwing it into the biggest spider, boiling it from the inside out.</p><p> </p><p>When the last spider fell, X-23 groaned, feeling the lava coursing through her arm. She didn't know what was in the venom that was injected in her, but it somehow stopped her own ability to heal. Worse, she frowned, seeing the blackened veins spreading. It seemed to be <em> using </em> it to spread faster. She groaned again as the woman immobilized her again with a tight grip, letting out a relieved sob right next to her ear. When she let go, X-23 expected another reprimand, like earlier. Ayleen certainly seemed to be gearing up for it, making herself bigger and inhaling threateningly, but she deflated, frowning in worry before asking one simple question. </p><p>"What's your name, Little one?" The Dark Elf inquired gently, putting a hand in her cheek. </p><p>X-23, Weapon X, <em> Clone. </em> She had many titles, but she couldn't use any. She didn't have a name, not one like Sara or Ayleen. She only had… designations. Labels. The closest she ever got to a true name was…</p><p>"<em> ...I hate this. I-I'm a monster, I' so sorry,  Laura. I-…" a whisper, her handler must've thought she's asleep. "My own child…" </em></p><p>"They called me Talon." She murmured dazedly. She didn't want to give the woman her name yet. It was the only thing she still had that was <em>hers.</em> Ayleen frowned again, but didn't push.</p><p>"Talon…" She murmured, testing out the name before her eyes landed on the blackened wound. "You're hurt." </p><p>X-23, <em> Laura, </em> nodded silently, already drowning  the overwhelming feeling of Ayleen's healing hands. She felt the energy focusing on her arm, her own healing factor suddenly working on overdrive. The quick spread stopped, but the venom had been causing enough damage to overtask her own metabolism, so with the boost from the spell the wound started to slowly close. </p><p>"Spider bite's a serious business, lass. She's lucky to even be alive." Hadvar murmured to the elf. She turned to him with a glare. “But it seems like whatever you did worked,” He continued, nodding to the wound that was already half its size. Ayleen recast the spell as Laura watched in wonder. The elf glanced into her eyes for a second before focusing back on her magic.</p><p>“I’m Ayleen.” She introduced herself, glancing at her again.</p><p> </p><p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this three years ago, been playing around ever since. I originally planned a whole story with Ayleen as a somewhat pacifist mage trying to deal with the fact everyone expects her to kill gods and bandits at their beck and call while also taking care of an X-23 barely out of the Facility's shadow and trying to teach her to be a good person and that violently ripping out throats is <i>not</i> a good way to deal with your problems. Laura, at the same time, struggled with finding her own independence after being displaced without any warning just as she was about to kill Wolverine, the man she blames for all her years of torture at the hands of the Facility. </p><p>But, as you probably notice, I tend to not really finish stuff I start, so have another one-shot! ;)</p><p>P.S. Sorry for the bad quality of the pic. I drew this a while ago too and lost the original file.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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